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DBear

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Everything posted by DBear

  1. DBear
    Thanks, that's what I'm planning to do.. I thought this part would be relatively easy but I find myself second guessing myself at every turn
  2. DBear
    If you look up GRE concordance table - there's actually officially percentiles that the ETS issues each year for the GRE - I'd look at those to see where you really stand
  3. DBear
    I've been sending out emails to POIs and most have been very friendly, suggesting things to put in my SOP and other professors who I may be interested in working with. One POI said "I hope you join us" I'm feeling like a teenager dissecting a text from a crush and seeing if he realllllly likes me or not I know that a friendly response doesn't mean I'll get into a program, but should I at least put in more effort based on the level of attention I got in these correspondence? Argh... So anxious.....
  4. DBear
    One of the programs I'm looking at specifically says not to send an excerpt of a thesis or longer work - would it be reasonable to send the entire thesis in this case? It's 60 or so pages which is way too long for any committee to read...
  5. DBear
    As an international student also in the English dept - this is what I've seen happen last year with my friends: Most aimed for 160 v and 4.5 - that would be enough to not have to take the test again. One of my friends got accepted to 3 second tier schools and waitlisted to 2 top tier programs with less than that. Another friend also had less than that and got into Texas A&m Your writing score is VERY high so I can understand if you are hesitant to risk it but if I were you, I'd take the test again aiming for at least 158. Also, you'll need to take TOEFL, and if you get a very good TOEFL score, you may be able to get away with a less than average GRE. That being said, a lot of schools do cut you some slack on GRE scores if you are an international student. You can use your SOP and writing sample and letters of recommendation to try and show that you will be able to fully function in an English speaking environment.
  6. DBear
    I second @cristyarline. Your verbal scores arware pretty similar, so having a much stronger AWA would stand out. Plus, political science and policy related fields emphasize writing aptitude so I think that would be something you can focus on.
  7. DBear
    That makes sense, I've helped proofread a few SOPs and found my concentration level dwindle rapidly after page two... Thanks!!
  8. DBear
    How low is low? I'm in the same boat, but the program I'm applying to is not quantitative in nature so most of the feedback I've gotten is to focus on other materials. To give you some perspective, I scored 163 / 143 / 5 165 / 149 / 4.5 The feedback I've gotten is to go with the second set. I took the second test specifically because of the low quant score. Even after the first test, people were saying I should be okay, but I just was not comfortable leaving it like that. For the few schools that have a quantitative research course requirement, I've decided to get an LOR from my old econ professor. So that's another approach you can take - choose recommenders who will attest to the fact that though your score may be low, you have enough quant skills to get through grad school. Good luck!
  9. DBear
    Hi all, Half the schools I'm applying to have stated specific lengths/limits for SOPs ranging from 2 to 4.5 pages. The other half, however don't have guidelines on how long the SOP should be. Is it safe to assume that 3ish pages should be okay? I have emailed a few schools and asked but it also seems like a bit of a dumb question so I'd like to not have to ask if I can help it. Feedback is appreciated
  10. DBear
    FYI, I got a reply back from NYU MCC professor who was nice enough, but basically said that they out of 190 applicants last year, they only selected 5 so I should consider applying to multiple programs
  11. DBear
    Hello all, I've come across a couple of schools that have a minimum number of LORs specified without a maximum number. The majority ask for 3. For schools that say something like 'at least 2", would it be okay to send 4 or 5 then? Has anyone sent more than the specified number? Good luck everyone!
  12. DBear
    Thanks for the feedback! I asked about fit as I'm applying to progams for which I don't have a BA or MA but will try to reword that and make it a bit more 'woo-ey'
  13. DBear
    I have an MA in policy from MIIS and most students go on to work in DC. I'd advise against getting another MA as it would be costly and add little value. Something I'd suggest you do is look into jobs in the Texas state govt to get policy work on your resume and also look into some of the bigger consulting firms that focus on govt contracts. Most of the bigger firms have local offices and hq in the DC area so you can potentially move internally. NGOs and think tanks in your area would be useful too. I know many people that did the move there and see approach which is good as well if you have time and no bills to pay but this approach can take a long time. And having empty space on your resume doesn't look great. In the policy field , experience is most important so I'd focus on that. Your credentials seem attractive so perhaps tweaking your resume and cover letter may do the trick as well. I'd be happy to have a look. I've worked in policy since 2010 but left the field a bit ago...
  14. DBear
    I've been told by many successful applicants to keep the length short enough they don't need to scroll My format: Greetings from xxxx, I'm interested in applying to xxxxx program. My question is whether I'd be a good 'fit' as my research interest in general xyz. In particular, I would like to focus on abcdefg. After reading your book etc, I decided to contact you directly, hope you don't mind. I have a BA in xxx, MA in xxxx. Thank you for your time. Something like that. For the title I used: Greetings (and a quick question) from a prospective grad student. That's not verbatim what I wrote but that's pretty much it.
  15. DBear
    I asked a similar question, you should see it if you scroll down a bit on the forum. I can't answer because I think this is pretty department specific, but I did see a really old post similar to this and the person said they actually contacted the school he was applying to and asked. If you're very nervous about which one to choose, calling a couple of schools may also help.
  16. DBear
    @Triangular I'm doing communication as well (there's a thread in the Communication forum for 2017 apps) would be happy to swap as well once I have a passable draft. All, I have an MA Intl Enviro Policy and also one in English Literature so feel free to PM me with your SOP for those applying to these fields. (Also worked in international development as well so can give feedback on that)
  17. DBear
    Hi all, Most of the school's I'm applying to require either a resume or cv and one asks for an academic vitae. (Applying to Communication depts) I've been out of school for a while so my resume is tailored to the business world (if anyone wants help with that, let me know) But not sure how to format these documents for academia. Do I write every class I've ever taken? Should I have a summary of my research interests?.... What is an academic vitae anyway?? Thought this would be the easy part of the application but seems harder than I thought, maybe I'm just over thinking...
  18. DBear
    Oops to the above - I realized that NYU asks for the entire MA thesis - I've narrowed down my list to 12 - I'm hoping to get it down further, but I may end up applying to all of them I'll probably go into debt doing so.. U Wisconsin-Madison, UNC Chapel Hill, Ohio State, U Iowa, U Illinois Urbana-Champaign, U Penn, Temple, Bowling Green, UC San Diego, NYU, U Mass Amherst, U Colorado Boulder >> Any feedback on the list is welcome! I think I may be aiming too high. I wanted a good mix, but after looking at research areas, I ended up with this. @wazzzup I recall looking at that program at some point but don't know much about it. I've been looking at rankings at phds.org & NCA ratings.
  19. DBear
    I also noticed that they want the entire MA thesis uploaded?! I really hope I misunderstood this.. I'm really not that thrilled with how mine turned out
  20. DBear
    Hi all, I graduated nearly a decade ago and am now applying for PhD programs. My old advisor asked me to write up a first draft as it's been so long. I have no clue where to start. How long should it be? Any particular sequence? (Relationship to student, student's strengths, student's fit for the program???) Also, are there things that MUST be included like let's say, how long he's known me? Between several different SOPs, my writing sam,ple, etc.. I really wish I didn't need to do this but alas.... Thanks in advance!
  21. DBear
    Sorry for flooding this thread - quick question - Anyone know how reputable/ competitive the Comm program at U of Colorado, Boulder is? I really like the faculty's research fields but really have no idea if I have any chance of getting in...
  22. DBear
    Thanks all! I'm seriously glad that no one said to retake the test.. I've already spent nearly 1,000 bucks on test-taking alone (had to take TOEFL as well) @Azsy16 love the way you put that! (and cute dog!)
  23. DBear
    So far, this thread shows how diverse Comm programs/ applicants are - rhetoric, marketing, and so on. I think that's what I've been having a hard time with in terms of choosing schools to apply to and trying to figure out if I'm aiming too high or not high enough. I'm interested in rhetoric/ cultural studies and found some overlap with a few Ethnic Studies phd programs. (Diaspora, race, cultural identity type stuff) Anyone else with similar interests? Also, would people be interested in sharing a bit of background and where they're at in the preparation process? I'm basically preparing on my own so would love feedback, but won't flood the forum with my life story of people think it's TMI Oh and re: additional info on the school, @jansport, a few people have suggested that I contact some of the grad students. A lot of schools will at least have an email. Other then that, I've sent S.O.S messages to friends via social media asking for introductions. Thanks to the whole 6 degrees thing, I was able to talk to a recent grad from a program I was looking at.
  24. DBear
    It took a full 10 days (maybe it was even longer than that) for scores to show up in my account. I got a physical report card weeks afterward. I recall on CBT they showed you reading and listening the way you see GRE verbal and quant but ibt, they keep you waiting good luck!
  25. DBear
    Thank god for this thread!! I'm applying for Comm programs and need to narrow down my list... I've got nearly 20 schools.. my biggest fear is that I don't know which schools are out of my league based on my background. Let's work on getting this thread more active!
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